Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1887-02-04
OLYMPIA. ,~HIN. ron TER
OLYMPIA, FRIDAY EVENING, FLB /. 1851.
The Northern Par.ic and Interstate
Commerce.


duction OF the local passenger tariff in
the Territories of Montana, Idaho and
Washington, by the Northern Pacific
Railroad Company, the Chicago Shoe
and Leather RerieW, says: "When 1t
reduction is a voluntary concession to
localities where there are no competing
lines, it must he admitted that the lib
crality of the company is most com
mendable and worthy of emulation.
The Northern Pacific Railroad is most
fortunate in the selection OF its general
officers, and the heads of the different
departments in working for the inter
est of the company have hit upon the
happy expedient of fostering and de-
vcloping the industries Of the Terri:or-
les which it has opened to the COM
merce of the world Under the wise
and liberal management of this COM
pany the future OF the northwest is
bright with promise, and the great
finland Empire must, by reason Of
superior climate, vast natural resources
and the diversified character Of inner
ent wealth, develop into one of the
richest and most prosperous sections
of this country. In these days when
there is such universal complaint
about the oppressive and selfish meas
ures adopted by railroad companies in
localities where they hold control Of
the transportation facilities, it is graft
flying to note such Il conspicuous ex-
ception, and to find a company which
maintains the most cordial and salts
factory relations with the people along
it's line. In the different Territories
through which it passes there has been
no attempt to secure legislation to
hamper or restrict the management OF
the road, because none has been need
ed or demanded. The community OF
interests between the company and its
patrons are such that each respects
the rights of the other, and both rec
ognize the fact that the success of the
former depends largely upon the pros
perity of the latter Ii the other trans
continental lines had pursued the wise
and liberal policy which has charac-
terized the management of the North
ern Pacific Railroad Company there
would be no interstate commerce bill
pending before Congress"
These co'npepts., are tIre, and now
that the bill referred to has passed
Congress by such majority as to al
most assure its approval 10y the Prcsi
dent, it seems probable that the 4tl
section, prohibiting less'i charge fol
long hauls than for short ones in the
same direction, will affect this com
pany quite as much as these which
have not pursued policy that has re
suited in so much good to the public
The people OF the finland Empire
last season thought it was a most ad
mirable order Of things that secured
for them rates for wheat to st. Pau
which practically placed them on al
equal footing with the grain-producer
of Dakota. Our shingle-makers her,
began to see the dawn of a millennium
when they found that they could &c
tually ship their product to Chicago o
Boston, with fair margin for profit
and our lumbermen were buildin.
high expectations on the future o
their traffic when it had been demon
strated that they could compete will
Minnesota mills for the trade of TIN
great emporiums in choice lumber
Our own people were beginning to real
alize that we were not longer to b,
considered outside barbarians," whel
Chicago could be made the basis o
supplies, and We were not ruled by the
rod-of-iron policy that had character
lied purchases in and rates of ship
ments from San Francisco.
1t may be, however, that these fore
bodings are without foundation, an,
that if the Attorney General passe
favorably upon the bill and it receive
the signature of the President, the dis
cretion left to the Commissioners will
be exercised so as to foster rather thai
to extirpate these infant industrie
and the new avenues of trade tina
were in such hopeful stage of devel
opment.
The interstate bill exemplifes tn
the truth of the assertion that Ian
guage at best is but an imperfec
means of communicating ideas. 1t i
said that the author of the bill was TN
able, in answer to queries while it
provisions were under discussion, t,
give very lucid explanation of its ex
act scope, and We have yet to find
written opinion of its probable effec
in securing the objects sought thu,
does not express grave doubts of it
efficacy. The unwritten laws of trad
are so complex in their nature that i
is almost impossible to regulate b.
statute, which must be general in it
application, results that are dependen
upon diverse conditions and circum
stances for their existence. A genera
impression seems to prevail that Con
gress, in the bill just passed, attempt
too much, and that the necessit,
which is conceded to exist for nationa
legislation, might have been met in
much more distinct and decisive way
THE President has appointed Rev